Republican political consultants dissected the recent battle over Obamacare and the government shutdown and concluded that consensus is hard to find in the House because the political middle has disappeared. Blame gerrymandering, big bucks campaigning, and voters. Yep, we got the government we asked for. Well, that some people asked for.

This week on Truthdig Radio in association with KPFK: An intimate portrait of new journlism’s banner carrier, how the shutdown affected people of color, lying liars and the economics of mendacity, the Green Party responds to the 60 percent of Americans calling for a third party and The Mantle’s Shaun Randol on Africa and super-independent publishing.

This week on Truthdig Radio in association with KPFK: An intimate portrait of new journlism’s banner carrier, how the shutdown affected people of color, lying liars and the economics of mendacity, the Green Party responds to the 60 percent of Americans calling for a third party and The Mantle’s Shaun Randol on Africa and super-independent publishing.

The company that owns Ritz, Nabisco and other snack brands wants to install grocery shelves that track the age and gender of passers-by; the NSA accesses Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s email; meanwhile, the stenographer who went on a Freemason-themed rant in Congress says God made her do it. These discoveries and more after the jump.

This week on Truthdig Radio in association with KPFK: Robert Scheer on the government un-shutdown, Chris Hedges on American collapse, a Florida teen is in jail for dating a girl, and Jesmyn Ward’s memoir of institutional racism.

This week on Truthdig Radio in association with KPFK: Robert Scheer on the government un-shutdown, Chris Hedges on American collapse, a Florida teen is in jail for dating a girl, and Jesmyn Ward’s memoir of institutional racism.

As the government shutdown continues to rack up casualties, another group of victims comes to light. Women in abusive relationships seeking shelter from the violence may find many doors shut while they’re at their most vulnerable.

Only 28 percent of those polled had a favorable view of Republicans—that’s down 10 points from last month and “the lowest favorable rating measured for either party since Gallup began asking this question in 1992.”

To gain insight into the workings of American society, it may be productive to focus on the 1 percent’s erratic behavior; Japan’s prime minister has asked for international assistance to deal with the Fukushima leaks; meanwhile, is Speaker John Boehner the Berlusconi of the States? These discoveries and more after the jump.

If the Republicans in Congress are unable to prevent the United States from paying its bills later in this month of shutdowns and deficit limits, I assume their next move will be an attempt to impeach President Obama.

This week on Truthdig Radio: A repeal of Obamacare is off the table and the GOP can’t seem to decide what to do. Meanwhile, the exchanges are open—sort of, California rescues housekeepers and Congress takes on the NSA.

This week on Truthdig Radio: A repeal of Obamacare is off the table and the GOP can’t seem to decide what to do. Meanwhile, the exchanges are open—sort of, California rescues housekeepers and Congress takes on the NSA.

With the prospect of a government shutdown so real the White House has ordered government agencies to batten down the hatches, it’s hard to believe all this is over a few billion dollars. House Republicans are insisting on more cuts than President Obama has agreed to, and if both sides can’t get together by Friday ... (more)

The good news: It doesn’t seem as though disputes between congressional Republicans and their Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill and in the White House over spending cuts will bring the government to a standstill. The bad news ...